 Roald Dahl was born in Wales on 16th September 1916 to Norwegian parents.  His father died when he was three years old, and he was raised by his mother.  He had a fairly unhappy time at boarding school which provided some of the inspiration for his later stories.  He went on to work at the Shell Oil Company based in Africa until the outbreak of World War II when he signed up with the Royal Air Force.  After being injured in action, he was sent to Washington DC to work as an attaché where.

 He was interviewed for an article about his time in action he offered to write about his experiences. His piece was published in the Saturday Evening Post.  he was then signed up to write more articles.  In 1943 he wrote his first children’s book, The Gremlins.  “Lamb to the Slaughter” was published in Harper’s magazine in 1953.

 He focused on adult fiction after this until he wrote another children’s story in the 1960s.  In the process of making up stores to interest his own children, he came up with “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”  He went on to write 21 children’s  He died on 23rd November 1990.

 Popularized in the 1950’s.  The use of the morbid or grotesque in a humorous manner.  Often highlights the senselessness or futility of life.  Often used to describe the works of novelists such as Nathanael West and Vladimir Nabokov.

 3rd Person Limited Omniscient - The narrator is aware of all of the action but has insight only into Mary’s thoughts.

 Internal- person vs. self  Needs to save unborn child  External- person vs. person  Mary vs. Patrick  Mary vs. Detectives